Outcry
by Synetherin B. Shadow
Summary: Winters are quiet, gorgeous, but harsh, and this particular one starts to test limits as Mathias soon learns the true dangers of the snow, and the risk that comes to his family when the flakes begin to fall.
1. Chapter 1

Tranquility. The gentle, peaceful silence that drifts along with the soft flakes of snow, dusting the land as each individual particle brushed upon surfaces, clinging to particular select areas of those panes, much like a child would cling to their parent. Large, fluffy clouds accompanying those falling snowflakes, following the soft breeze that would cast upon the now covered ground, pushing between buildings and objects, carried along as if they were nothing more than a piece of the air themselves, with no weight to hold them in a single place for a great amount of time.

It was days like this that he truly enjoyed the most, the ones when nothing more than a peaceful silence met his ears, only the slight tinkling of the snow breaching his eardrums as the particles met the ones gathered upon the ground, sticking to his coat and the surrounding surfaces whether it were desired or not.

The little amount of people actually out on the streets, the empty roads and nearly dead sidewalks, all added onto the gentle atmosphere that seemed to have engulfed the world around him, the land splashed with touches of white, unmarked spots and speckles of fallen snow that were just begging to be stepped upon, only steadily building as no being appeared to dare to break the soft surface, no one seeming to be willing to be the first to lay a footstep in the gathered flakes.

The first step outside of the office he worked in had brought a smile to his face, an instant sense of peace and joy flooding him at the sight of the simple surroundings, the normally busy streets now basked with a large amount of calamity, yet to be destroyed by a vehicle or person passing by. It was a moment to suck in, to take comfort from, and though some would disagree, Mathias truly felt that winter was the best season.

No footprints in his sight of view, it quickly became clear that he would be the first to disturb the fallen fluffy substance, the second step outside of the building landing his boot directly into a measly few centimetres of snow, the bright blue eyes he wore glancing across the surroundings in a quick survey, the gentle, happy smile not faltering in the slightest as a single lone car breezed down the road, disturbing the snow much like his own step had, sending the flakes flying from beneath its tires and into the air much like a puff of smoke, creating an amazing sight to see.

Eyes watching the snow settle again, it took him a few minutes to break his eyes away from the breathtaking surroundings and bring his mindset away from such things, back into the tasks he had on hand, the duties he had to preform and keep his mind focused with. All he wanted to do was stand there for an endless period of time, casting his gaze along everything that caught his eye, and just forget the responsibilities he currently carried along, take the time for himself and just enjoy it all. But he knew better than to do such a thing, as preferred as it would be, and the tasks he claimed were the only thing that ripped him away from sightseeing, and brought him to take the few more steps, moving away from the building and upon the sidewalk.

Black boots lightly scuffing the surface of the snow, creating dents in what had previously been a perfect layer, he began the short walk to his first destination, eyes fixated on the covered pavement before him, white puffs of air escaping his lips every few moments. Bare hands shoved into pockets, jacket buttoned up tight and drawn close to his body, it all provided to be little help against the chilling affects of the breeze that bundled past him and the objects surrounding, slight shivers making their way down his spine as the wind nagged at any uncovered areas of his body.

Maybe the cold wasn't the perfect addition to the gentle atmosphere, but it was such a little thing in his mind to complain about.

Each step sending light particles moving away from his boots, each breath disturbing the air in which it set flight into, he slowly made his way down the sidewalk, passing no one as the streetlights dully provided lighting for his path, the tall lit structures also encased with a delicate coating of the fluffy powder, the actual illumination from the object flickering occasionally, something which posed very little annoyance to him.

His walk lasted barely over five minutes, the short moments spent in the chilly weather seeming long, yet over in an instant, as his gaze swept over the snow covered landscape for a final time, before he stepped foot inside a small single storey building, the brick structure standing out from the surrounding metal structures towering over it nearby.

Each step echoing within the halls of the place, first glance might tell one that the building lied unoccupied, lit for an unknown reason, standing there, waiting for people to step inside. But, it would only take a short moment of attention and a few more steps within, and the sounds of young, playing, happy children would reach the ears of those inquiring about the nature of such a place, cork board covered with papers sitting upon the pale beige wall also assisting in the identification.

First door to the right, and Mathias was quickly met with around a dozen pairs of eyes upon his figure, gazes curious, wondering, before the searching eyes then looked away, noise level resuming, activities picking up when the young children realized he was not their parents, except the single pair of unique blue-purple orbs which clearly lit up at the sight of him.

Smile spreading across his own face as the child quickly jumped to his feet, Mathias kneeled down and spread his arms wide, the young boy taking a running start and him and meeting the outstretched arms full force, wrapping tiny, skinny limbs around him, little face quickly burying itself in his damp, snow-ridden jacket.

The child let out a laugh, a happy, soft sounding voice to his ears, something which only increased the smile that laid across his face, pressing a light kiss to the other's head, scooping him up in his own arms, standing up as he did so. The child then removed his face from the jacket, the strange coloured eyes meeting Mathias's own bright blue gaze, and the expression on the face he examined was one of pure excitement and joy.

" Daddy!" The little boy exclaimed, the tone of his voice matching perfectly with his expression, as the child practically bounced in his arms, silently begging to be put back down, which Mathias did, knowing how to read his son like a book.

The boy quickly reached up and entwined his fingers in Mathias' own, giving him one of the brightest smiles he had seen all day, leading his father over to one of the far corners of the room, his enthusiasm only seeming to grow as he released the hand without a word of explanation, the little digits wrapping around a select piece of paper and pulling it away from the table of which it had previously claimed a spot on, being held up enough that Mathias was able to study the piece.

The young child was like any other four year old, having simple little drawings that posed great meaning to the young beings, the current paper being held to his sight covered with messy handwriting and figures which he instantly took note to be people. A further look at the few words upon the page, and his smile only grew, kneeling down to the boy's eye level to make it easier to speak to him.

One of his bare fingers brushing gently along the surface of the piece of art, he pointed at the very right person on the drawing, a messy note written above it, clearly stating 'Daddy'.

"Who is this?" He asked with a cheerful, bright tone, finding the picture absolutely priceless and adorable, already knowing who each of the figures were, but wanting to hear it from his son himself.

The little boy pulled the paper away from his face to stare at his father, his own grin able to rival Mathias' own, eyes practically shining in delight. "That's you!" One little hand removed its grasp from the paper to point at the middle figure, a much smaller one closely resembling the child, the name 'Emil' scribbled above it, the little errors in his spelling only adding to how cute the picture was.

"And there's me... Oh, and there's Papa!" The finger then gently shifted to the person on the left, before then gliding down to a tiny brown cat. "And there is Frey!"

Mathias quickly ruffled the boy's hair, marvelling in his drawing for a moment more, before standing up and staring down at him. "That is a wonderful drawing, Emil! You'll have to show that to Papa later!" He mused energetically, the preschooler nodding eagerly in response, before clasping the paper to his chest, darting off toward the door.

He followed his son, watching as Emil sat upon the floor and began to pull on his pair of snowpants, little cheeks puffing out in irritation when he couldn't get them easily, expression growing thankful when Mathias stepped in and helped him dress for the weather, putting him in the warm, large outfit, finishing it off with a scarf wrapped around his neck and pulled over his nose.

The child waved to his friends and teachers, before taking his backpack and running out of the room, his drawings and belongings having been placed inside the bag beforehand, it dragging behind him as Mathias followed closely, own expression one full of amusement at the eagerness his son was showing to get outside.

Emil waited by the door, unable to open it himself when bundled in his bulky snowsuit and gloves, moving between his father's legs and quickly shuffling outside, clearly wanting to be the first outside, even if Mathias had been out in the snow only minutes prior.

Basically dropping his backpack, the little boy almost instantly ran out into the snow, obviously grinning immensely, despite the fact his mouth was currently covered with the scarf, his eyes glowing in delight, little squeals accompanying his joyful expression. He bent over and took some of the fluffy particles within his gloved hands, crushing it together with a giggle, before flailing his arms to get the flakes off, the giggles turning into full laughter, as Mathias picked up the deposited backpack, following Emil as the child made his way slowly over to the parking lot, stopping every few steps to poke at the snow or take some within his grip once again.

When they reached the edge of the lot filled with a few cars, Mathias took a hold of his hand, feeling the snow that was on the glove melt when his warm bare hand touched it, leading his son over to a certain vehicle, which claimed a single parking spot and was actually a quite small and compact car, red colour barely visible beneath the coating of powder it had been gathering.

With a swift push of a button on his keys, Mathias unlocked the automobile and scooped Emil up into his arms despite the instant protest that came with such a motion, giving the boy a kiss on the forehead, before ducking into the car and setting him inside his car-seat within the back of the car, making sure he was buckled up tight and secure, before placing the backpack beside him, closing the door, and getting in his own seat.

Igniting the engine of the car, he buckled himself up and leaned over slightly to turn on some music and the heat, waiting until he had everything turned on and the windshield cleared off before pulling into drive, heading out of the parking lot and to their next destination, bright smile still spread across his face.

During the twenty or so minute drive, Mathias kept catching glances of Emil through the rear view mirror, the little boy swaying slightly from side to side in time to the music, his light and happy voice singing along to the songs that came up on their personal CD, grinning joyfully whenever he caught his father's gaze.

They shared simple, yet entertaining conversations whenever they were not singing along to the music, and Mathias was actually a bit sad when their ride came to an end, the approach of a large office complex causing him to halt his own singing of the most recent song playing, Emil quickly quieting afterwards when his father did, beginning to look excited when he recognized where they were, his unique gaze searching the surroundings of the building.

"There's Papa!" The eager squeal from the child chased Mathias out of his own searching, shooting a glance over his shoulder to check where the boy was looking, following his gaze to see a well dressed man waiting just outside the doors, blonde hair standing slightly out of place from the wind, which was growing stronger as the storm progressed. It appeared that he had been waiting for some time, Mathias noted when they pulled up beside the male, waiting until the other had stepped in and shut the door behind him to speak, of which he never did get a chance to, for the man beat him to the chase.

"You were late." Came the simple sentence, laced with an underlying tone of annoyance and a very faint hint of exhaustion, the blue-violet gaze similar to Emil's giving away how tired he was, expression hard and weary.

"I'm sorry Lukas... I promise I won't be late next time!" Mathias quickly replied, leaning over to give Lukas a gentle kiss on the cheek, receiving a grunt in a wordless reply to that, before pulling the car into gear and pulling away from the office building, not missing how Emil made a fake disgusted sound at the kiss, before giggling, sending the boy a grin using the rear view mirror.

The drive home usually took twenty minutes, but due to the snow it ended up taking the family a good hour or so, the ride being spent with Mathias trying to get some conversation with Lukas, who just answered with single-word answers, staring out the window, Emil singing quietly to himself in the backseat.

The atmosphere was a bit tense in the drive, but Mathias refused to let it get to him, continuing to attempt conversation, occasionally directing it toward the child in the back, who would always answer with honest, eager replies, grin hardly ever faltering, only dropping slightly when his Papa wouldn't join in easily.

Emil had eventually quieted completely, and Mathias found the little boy struggling to stay awake as he glanced in the rear view mirror to peek at him, soft smile spreading across his features. His son must have had a long, play-filled day if he was already beginning to doze, for the music was still playing but providing to be nothing but help in making him fall asleep.

Lukas beside him looked ready to sleep himself, eyes closed and head resting gently against the window, breathing slow and nearly inaudible to his ears, and Mathias found himself looking over at the male beside him more than once on the drive home to watch his sleeping figure.

The drive grew boring for Mathias, but he found ways to keep himself awake and alert unlike the other two, switching between CDs and singing along quietly to the ones he knew, that being most of the songs upon the discs. Fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel in time to the beat, it was an hour and fifteen minutes later that he finally pulled down their street, the area looking completely different due to the flaky substance that now laid all across the surfaces.

Turning into the driveway to their own house, he gradually pulled right up as close as he could to the building, to provide it to be easier to leave in the morning if it were needed. It was then that he turned off the ignition, the cab of the car falling into deep silence, only broken by soft snoring from Emil in the backseat.

Outstretching his arm, Mathias gave Lukas a tap on the shoulder, the simple gesture just enough to cause the blonde to jolt out of his slumber, unique violet-blue eyes blinking a number of times as they then narrowed, irritation making its way across his face, no actual words being said, but the annoyed huff that broke from Lukas' mouth was enough to tell Mathias that he was not completely pleased with having been woken up.

Mathias unbuckled his own seat belt, opening the door and stiffening slightly against the sudden rush of cold breeze and snowflakes that burst in the car at that action, Lukas grumbling practically under his breath at that, just staring back at him when Mathias gave him an apologetic glance before stepping out.

He took no time in retrieving Emil and scooping the sleeping boy into his arms, as Lukas gathered his own briefcase and Emil's school bag along with artwork, the two then making their way over to the house, quickly unlocking the front door and darting inside in order to evade the chilly weather.

Leaving Lukas to deal with the bags, Mathias slipped off his boots as well as the ones the little boy in his grasp wore, quietly carrying him up the stairs and into the first door on the right, opening said door to a dark room, the light switch being flipped on to reveal a simple white and blue room, toys spread all over an area on the left, with a large bed on the right.

Curtains matching the blue bedspread covered with puffins, was clear within seconds that they had purposely put together the certain things that held the aspect of the child's room, the simplicity of it and the colours within it, yet the complexity that was the soft patterns and the effort that was clearly put into it.

Needless to say, it was a room they had spent a long time in preparation of Emil for, the work having taken the two adults easily over a week. But, to them both, and their son, it was worth the time and money and then some.

Silently walking over to the bed, Mathias laid the still sleeping Emil on top of the covers, gently stripping him of his winter clothing and those underneath it, leaving him in just a pair of tiny boxers litters with puffins, something the boy had picked out himself once he was toilet trained. The obsession with the animal the child had was something of great amusement to his fathers, and the two took it upon themselves to try and make the things he owned to fit the scheme of the favourite animal. It was easy to tell Emil was a little spoiled, but it didn't ever change the fact he was a sweet, honest child.

Leaving the half awake Emil on the bed, Mathias then moved over to the closet, pulling open the doors and wasting no time in retrieving a pair of warm, long pajamas, the soft, fuzzy texture something he was sure would keep the boy warm.

Dressing his son quickly, yet being careful not to fully wake him, Mathias then brought the covers upon Emil's form, placing the special puffing toy upon his chest, it being gripped tightly by the boy within a matter of seconds. A light kiss on the forehead then, and Mathias backed away and out of the room, flicking on the nightlight, as well as turning off the main light, closing the door behind himself as he left the child to sleep. They were quite lucky he was relatively easy to get to bed.

Being careful to keep his steps relatively light and silent, he made his way back down the stairs and into the kitchen, finding it to be anything but a surprise to find Lukas bustling about within the room, the bags previously held by the blonde now resting upon the counter, open and half unpacked.

Mathias wordlessly slipped up behind Lukas, who currently had himself busied with the sorting of papers and other important documents, wrapping his arms around the other man's waist and pulling him in tightly, placing his own chin upon Lukas' shoulder and casting his gaze down at those small stacks of paper.

The other jumped slightly at the unprovoked contact, head darting up from the organizing and eyes shifting to the side along with his head in order to meet Mathias' gaze, blinking once or twice.

"Busy day at work?" Mathias asked, even if the answer was something he could readily guess, and most likely get it right first try. He gave the blonde a kiss on the cheek and received a small smile in response to it, arms still wrapped around him, though not as tightly.

Eyes turning back to the papers, Lukas gave a short, abrupt nod in response to to the unneeded inquiry, hands hovering above the items laid on the counter, a nearly inaudible sigh escaping his lips. "Yes, incredibly." Muttered quietly, the other resumed finishing up the sorting, gently removing Mathias' hands from around his waist in favour of moving away to set the documents off to the side.

Mathias allowed the removal of his hands, not wanting to invade the personal space of the other more than he liked, stuffing said limbs into his pockets and giving a chuckle as he made his way toward the fridge.

The next few minutes were spent in complete silence as Lukas continued to unpack the bags, setting the items in the closet since they were most likely not required for at least a week, whereas Mathias worked on creating a small dinner for the two of them, figuring Emil would be out for the night, able to make him something quick if the child did wake due to hunger.

Lukas eventually joined him once his own tasks were accomplished, and the two worked together as a team to get vegetables and meat diced up for a simple stir-fry, Mathias taking out the pots while Lukas finished up the last carrot.

Frying pan within his grasp, Mathias paused by the window, his bright blue gaze drifting along the deck and backyard that the glass provided a view of, quite impressed at the amount of snow that had fallen already, but also noticing it was slowing down as the minutes ticked by.

That was one thing he loved about their house, was the fact their windows showed such clear, beautiful views of the great aspects of their yard and street, something he would most likely never tire from.

He was distracted by such thoughts and sightseeing by a pained hiss suddenly erupting from Lukas, who was withdrawing from the cutting board of which he had been working on when Mathias shot his gaze over.

Catching Mathias' eye, he quickly waved it off. "Nicked my knuckle." Came the plain explanation, accompanied with the studying of said knuckle, before the blonde stepped back toward the preparations, seemingly unaware of the slightly concerned gaze watching him.

Mathias examined him for a moment from his distance, before turning back to setting up the pan on the stove, leaving it to heat up and heading to collect the supplies to throw within it, taking the bowl of meat and tossing it in first, joined with some sauces only a few moments later.

Lukas then handed him the plate holding the cut up carrots and other assorted vegetables, and those joined the mixture as Mathias fried it up, stirring it occasionally as the other washed off the couple of dishes they had used, silence overtaking the kitchen, only disturbed by the sizzling of the cooking food.

Receiving a swat on the shoulder when he licked the wooden spoon used to stir the food, he let out a soft burst of laughter as he dished two servings onto separate plates, shooting Lukas a playful glare as he then set to soaking the pan, getting a smirk in return.

Dinner was relatively uneventful for the two, who had retreated to the living room and flicked on the television for background noise, news bringing a boring yet calming sense into the room.

Mathias was alright with the silence that had taken over as he finished up his own meal, taking longer than the other had in eating it, one to savour each bite. Sure he was one who talked a lot when given the chance, but it also did not mean he didn't appreciate quiet every so often, and he knew when was times meant for such.

Setting his plate on the table to his right, he was suddenly met with weight on the other side of his body, and a quick turn of his head revealed Lukas slightly slumped against him, book within his lap along with his hands, eyes closed and breathing slow. The sight made him smile softly, as he wrapped his arm around the other to pull him closer, resting his own head on the top of the other's.

The news droned on about anything worthwhile, occasionally flickering to reports about the weather and what was expected to come, it holding Mathias' interest just enough for him to keep from changing the channel, the fact he was comfortable in his current position and unwilling to get up to snatch the remote aiding in the easy decision to remain where he was.

Eventually he grew bored with the ever repeating broadcast, eyes wandering away from the bright screen in favour of casting along the dim room, studying the place he knew all too well for a good minute or two, mentally taking notes of some dusty shelves in the far corner, before shifting his gaze toward the window, watching as the small flakes of snow fell from the sky in their undetermined paths, the powder light and just a gentle dusting upon what had already landed.

The atmosphere was completely relaxing and calm, and eventually he found himself beginning to drift off into slumber much like the man beside him had some time before. He found no desire to get up and make his way to their room, instead slowly and carefully shifting on the large couch so he could lay on his side, behind Lukas, who he kept close, arms wrapped around the other almost protectively, as he used his feet to draw a blanket from the very edge of the furniture up and over them.

With a soft sigh, he allowed his eyes to close and left his mind to wander, picking out occasional words drifting from the current report on the television, or the gentle tapping of a tree branch upon one of the windows, just quiet enough not to pose a great irritation upon him and instead become one with the background sounds.


	2. Chapter 2

Tranquility. The gentle, peaceful silence that is often brought with early mornings, reflecting the good side of the world during the few moments before it gets shattered by movement, sound, or a happening. The windows were dusted with the flakes from the previous nights' fallen snow, but were not heavy in the slightest, as the soft light from the rising sun eagerly broke through the barrier and shot into the room.

It was the single thing that brought Mathias from the world of dreamless sleep, that sent his mind into alertness, and let him slowly become aware of the surroundings he had left only hours before in favour of slumber. It not the fastest of processes for the certain individual, but after a few minutes he opened his eyes, and after blinking a few times he was awake, and aware.

His side was cold, and he instantly realized he was the only being on the couch now, no trace of the second body from the night before to be found. He blinked in a state of wonder, stretching a little bit to try and get a glimpse toward the entryway, where he found what he was looking for - or more like the absence of what he had been seeking; the lack of a pair of a certain set of shoes.

Mathias sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, bringing a hand to run through his hair as he remained on the couch, blanket still half across his body, providing little in an effort of warmth. Lukas was often called back to work early in the mornings on the weekend, so this development was of no surprise to him, he just felt a bit disappointed that they couldn't spend the snowy day together.

It was a number of moments before he finally started to make an effort to rise, stretching out thoroughly on the couch before he settled his feet on the cold floor, tossing the blanket delicately to the side. He rose, making his way to the kitchen, eyes quickly casting a glance at the clock below the television, taking note of the time. It was half past seven, and if things fell into their normal ways, Emil would be up in fifteen minutes, meaning Mathias wanted to be prepared with a nearly finished breakfast.

He entered the kitchen, marveling in the way the rising sun illuminated the space, casting gentle orange rays across the counters and appliances; once again he was happy with their home, and its beauty. Lukas and himself had really lucked out. It was just big enough for their family of three, with an extra bedroom for those times when relatives or good friends came to visit. It was one they both had agreed on, and years later there were no regrets on either side, that he knew for sure.

Moving to the fridge, he began to pull out supplies needed to make a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, setting the required spices and such on the island counter, and within moments the smell of cooking eggs was radiating through the house, mixed with the gentle sound of Mathias's singing.

When quarter to eight arrived, Mathias began to hear the noises of a rising child, much to his own prediction. He was almost never wrong when it came to knowing the subconscious schedule of his child. First was always the plop of Emil rolling from the bed to a pillow on the floor, and then after a moment of silence the pattering of his feet would commence, trailing from his room, to the door, to down the stairs.

When he heard the steps stop he turned, meeting the gaze of a very groggy little boy, favourite blanket in hand, stuffed puffin in the other, whose face lit right up when eye contact was made, arms rising as an indication he wanted to be held. Leaving the eggs for a short moment, Mathias approached the boy, and scooped him up, planting a few gentle kisses on his forehead, murmuring a soft morning greeting.

"Those smell good." Emil whispered, peering over at the eggs in the pan, then the warm toast beside the stove.

Mathias chuckled in response, figuring that food would be the first thing on the child's mind that morning, as he had not had supper the night before.

"It will be done in just one more minute." He promised, as he brought Emil over to the pan, finishing the scrambling process with the boy's 'help'; meaning Emil held the spatula while Mathias guided it the correct way.

When breakfast was finished cooking, he swiftly served it in two dishes, and handed the plastic one to Emil, letting the young child lead the way to the living room, where he settled down two glasses of apple juice on the coffee table, holding both plates of food as Emil scrambled up on the couch. He handed the boy his plate, and settled down beside him, switching the television from the news to some weekend morning cartoons.

The next hour flew by for Mathias as he watched the colourful programs, made tolerable from Emil's absolute interest. He was always so enthralled by electronics, but thankfully not dependent on them, so Mathias didn't worry too much when the boy wanted to watch some television or play on the tablet. Emil preferred the outside at this age anyways, so it wasn't a big deal.

When nine thirty rolled around, Mathias decided it was time to be a little productive, and leaving Emil to the cartoons, he carried the dishes to the kitchen, washing them up, along with the pans and cookware used to prepare their breakfast. Leaving them to dry beside the sink, he then wiped down the counters and the stove, turning off unneeded lights, and throwing out any garbage left behind. He liked a clean space, and thankfully so did the other two, so it was a very quick procedure.

He then quickly swept the floor, just so none of the little bits of cheese that had made their way to the floor would get tracked through the house. They had already been there once, and he _really _didn't feel like visiting that again; cheese in the bed was definitely interesting.

Once he had finished, he made his way back into the living area, finding Emil still engrossed in the television, a soft sigh escaping his lips at this, rolling his eyes slightly in amusement at the child's intense attention span. Thankfully, he had a trick in mind to break him off of it.

"Emil," He began, earning himself a quick glance from the boy. "How would you feel about going down the street to the park to go sledding?" He had hardly finished the question when Emil jumped up, bouncing eagerly on the couch, before quickly turning off the television, and launching off the couch, an excited scream resembling a yes the only verbal answer he got.

Grinning ear to ear as the boy sprinted up the stairs to the best of his ability with short legs, Mathias moved to the hall closet beginning to pull out winter clothes for the two of them, placing them in two neat piles beside their boots, then heading up the stairs himself to grab some socks.

He peered in Emil's room as he passed, finding the boy nearly naked, using a toy car garage as a step stool to reach a shirt. He felt like he should intervene, as that posed a safety hazard, but Lukas had always said to let Emil try things out for himself, as long as they weren't incredibly hazardous, as that would build further understanding of the world, and keep him on the track of independence. And so, he left the child, watching for a moment more, before he turned and went the rest of the way down the hall, opening the door to the bright, spacious master bedroom.

It was neat, much like the rest of the house, appearing almost completely untouched, save for the couple pieces of clothes that laid on the bed, upon investigation shown to be Lukas's, likely from the night change back into work clothing. Dumping the clothes in the hamper, he approached his own closet - the left one, as Lukas preferred the right - and pulled out some warmer clothing, finishing with thick wool socks, and a matching sweater.

Leaving things neat as before, he closed the door upon his exit of the room, finding Emil was no longer in his room, and just ahead of him, heading down the stairs. He could hear the thumps from each step the child took; he smiled in response to the sound, and followed suit.

A slight boot struggle later, and the two opened the front door, greeted with snow up the Emil's shoulders blown against the door. Within seconds it was gone, plowed through by the young boy, who took off down the porch and into the front yard, his excited squeals lighting up the street with sound. Mathias followed at a slower pace, withdrawing the sleds from their position beside the door, and they began the slow journey to the park.

The park was only a two minute walk away, but it was much longer when one had a short body in tow, especially when it was one that absolutely had to stop every few steps to touch the snow, or grab a stick. Thankfully, there was no rush, that it was unlike a weekday, so Emil was not pushed to go faster, as they would arrive eventually.

Mathias took the time to cheerfully gaze around the court, a family-friendly area with little traffic, and he marveled in the way the snow changed the atmosphere so drastically. The dark, rich coloured houses looked even better with the soft white covering their surfaces, and it would be a lie to say he didn't feel a sense of holiday spirit when he looked at it.

Taking the boy's hand for crossing the street at the end of their own, Mathias then released Emil's hand, letting him free to climb the mounds of snow that covered the play structures, watching as the child rolled down various sized snow hills.

"Daddy, look! There is a big one over there!" Emil squealed, pointing to a mound off to the side, in the middle of the field. Every year the city would make a snow pile in the middle for all the enjoy, and every year, it became Emil's favourite spot. Thankfully, it was also big enough to Mathias to get a quick run in after Emil, too.

And so the good part of the late morning was spent sledding and running around the snow-covered equipment, a good two and a half hours spent before Emil finally wore, showing signs of tiredness through his now sluggish actions. This was the point where Mathias would always load him into the sled with the string, and pull him back to their house.

And as per normal, by the time they got back to the house, Emil was out, nap time was commenced.

Picking up Emil in one arm, he lay the sleds back in their spots, and unlocked the front door, making sure to bang off his boots before he entered the home, tip of his nose and cheeks tingling as the warmth hit the freezing areas. Taking off his boots, he then did the same for Emil, who was now awake, but barely. The rest of the snow gear followed, the blue jacket and snow pants hung on the rack to dry, socks on a heater.

He laid Emil down on the couch, where the boy snuggled into the cushions, sniffing lightly, making a slight whining noise, earning a chuckle from Mathias in response, who knew exactly what that meant, and retrieved the precious blanket and stuffed animal from their spots they had been left in prior. Within moments, Emil was out like a light, gently snoring.

Mathias kissed the boy on his forehead before he left the room, turning off the ceiling light that had been left on, and made his way to the kitchen. He dug out the hot chocolate, and started the kettle warming as he poured the chocolate powder into the red and white mug, absently watching the trees sway gently outside, mind elsewhere.

When the kettle began to make sound, he straightened, removing his elbows off the counters where they had been before, and he turned it off, pouring the steaming liquid into his mug, cursing quietly when it splashed onto his free hand, where he jumped back and began to shake it, as if it would relieve the pain. "Good job." He muttered to himself, snickering at his sarcastic comment to himself, sighing then as he put the kettle back in its spot, taking the hot chocolate and making his way to the small office adjacent to the living area.

The office was always warm, and he felt himself relax again when he stepped inside, inhaling the slight floral smell from the flowers Lukas had brought home three days prior. He settled himself in the computer chair, leaning back as he held the mug in both hands, sipping absently at it. As Emil had actually fallen asleep a little bit earlier than usual, he found he had no idea what to do with his free time; Lukas was usually home, even if he had gotten called into work.

At that thought he found himself growing curious as to his husband's whereabouts, and he straightened back up in the chair, humming thoughtfully as he debated calling the other. Eventually he gave in, and pulled his white smartphone from the pocket of his sweatpants, not even glancing at the screen as he called Lukas, habitually knowing exactly where to push and when.

It rang once, twice, six times, it didn't stop until voicemail was activated, and he heard the familiar monotone recording, a grin splitting his face as he decided not to leave a message, and hung up, as Lukas would see that he had called, therefore negating the need to actually leave a verbal note.

After a few moments sitting there, he rose, making his way across the hall to the living area, where he settled softly beside his sleeping son, who hardly stirred, even when Mathias shifted the boy to accommodate himself. Even when Emil was tiny, they were not too quiet when he was asleep, so he had grown to be used to movement and sounds, and would sleep through most of them until he had gotten adequate slumber, and was ready to wake.

He leaned over and received the remote from the coffee table, turning on the television, switching to the news when the bright cartoons popper up on screen, volume on low as he was greeted with the rather snowy weather forecast. Indifferent to the prediction, he leaned back, one hand on Emil's back, other gripping the hot chocolate, as the weather then switched to the news reports.

The flashing 'Breaking News' across the bottom of the screen was not what drew his uttermost attention. Nor was the description of the special news.

What got his attention was what came from the video that came followed the news reporters faces.

What got his attention was the image of that all too familiar red car.

And the body of his beloved through its windshield.


End file.
